One small positive of this global pandemic and general annus horribilis of 2020 is that history is coming into the spotlight. I have seen more articles about the Spanish Flu of 1918 in the last month than I have in the last decade. And I’m absolutely seeing far more traffic on the blog- people need things to read and do! There is something that has come up in several questions/ messages/ emails in the last two months though, that I can actually help with. People want to get started on their own historical projects, and aren’t quite sure where to start. So, I’m sharing my top tips on doing your own historical research today!
What I love about history is that anyone can take part. You don’t have to have a special degree or particular skill set, you simply need curiosity to start with. Everything has a history, so there is an area or topic of history to interest literally anyone. It might not be the same topic as the person next to you, but that is what makes us unique. You will certainly develop several different skills along the way, no matter what research topic you are looking at- and those skills will be transferable to other areas of work and life, as well.
Note: Everything I’m recommending in this post is free to do! There is no need to purchase anything if you are not interested. Overall, access to a computer (most likely) and/or a notebook for keeping your thoughts are really the minimum.
1. Find Your Topic
Without starting with a “duh”, the first thing to do is pick a topic. I think that most of us can identify a broad area of history that we are interested in. However, I would recommend trying to narrow down a little. Instead of “The Tudors”, try narrowing down to “Henry VIII’s wives” or “people at Elizabeth I’s court”. Broad categories are wonderful for your introduction, but are actually very overwhelming to research. If I were given a broad topic or period to research with absolutely no directive, I would feel lost pretty quickly- it can feel like you have to cover everything. So try and niche down to a slightly more specific topic!
There is nothing to say that you can’t change it later on, too. I would say most historians would tell you that they started researching a project with one specific area in mind, and it evolved into something quite different by the end.
2. Identify Why You Are Interested
This can be a useful step that is often ignored. Try to identify why you are interested in that particular historical question. Are you receiving a grant to research this specific topic? Is it your own family history? Did a favourite teacher or professor lead you to it in an earlier class? There are no wrong answers here. Knowing why you are researching can help you decide on your outcome. If it is a family history, you may want to build a family tree going back X generations. Or if it is a funded project, you may need to produce a document for the organisation on the topic covering certain things. Or is it for you and you alone, and the final outcome doesn’t really matter? All are valid routes to take, but it can help you set a course.
3. Take Inventory of Primary and Secondary Sources Available
Here is the start of the actual work- sources. Take a full inventory of all the available sources. A primary source in history is created in the period in question and had a direct connection to the event. Letters, diaries, receipts, records, garments, legislation- there are a million forms primary sources can take. This can take a while, but put the effort into finding out what sources are actually open to you. Contact archives and museums and organisations, anyone who might have a relevant primary source. The worst thing that can happen is that they will say no! This list will grow as you do research, but it can make a big difference to know what primary sources you can actually access and use in a project. (Many will be private or inaccessible.)
Secondary sources are both easier and harder. I find that they can be easier to identify in general. You can mine footnotes in books and articles, you can search citations, you can ask for recommendations. However, actually getting your hands on them may be more difficult. Contact your library/ies for inter-library loan options, if they don’t have them. (They may be able to source them from another library.) If it is an article or an essay, contact the author directly to nicely inquire as to whether or not they could send you a copy. Accessing some secondary sources can be quite difficult, more than you might think.
Note: I would stress- do not contact anyone to ask for a free copy of their book. A PDF of an article is usually okay (though they may still decline), but an entire book is essentially asking them to work for free.
4. Be Creative and Branch Out
When you are actually researching, don’t limit yourself. If something catches your eye, follow it for a little bit. (Or make a note to come back.) And if you find your research morphing into something else and you have flexibility, allow it to go where it will. Many historical studies have started life out as one topic and ended as a very different one. Unless you are being given funding to research a very specific topic, you probably do have that flexibility!
It can lead to areas that have never been researched by anyone else. It also might lead to a new area of interest for you personally, which is always a lovely feeling. And it just might lead to a more complete argument/study. If you are married to one particular topic, you may miss out on a lot. It’s unfortunate that people don’t associate historians with creativity, but you have to be incredibly creative throughout the entire research process (not to mention keeping your writing engaging!). So, think outside the box, and branch out!
5. Make a System That Works For You
Nothing is more important when you are doing your own historical research than having a note-taking and organisational system that works for you. I have my own preferred systems that I have honed over a decade, and I love them. However, if you tried to use them in your own historical research, you might really hate them. Find and develop a system that works for you, and works over the long term. Sure, you can scribble notes on pieces of paper here and there, but if you lose the notes or don’t know what “kangaroo shoes in jail” means (or whatever you have written), it isn’t a useful system for you. Pay attention to what you need in your systems and don’t be afraid to tweak or change as you go!
Are you doing your own historical research right now? Is there anything that you are looking into, or want to?
Cheers,
The Historian
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This is great advice. My husband and I are both super interested in military history and find ourselves regularly digging into research on various topics as they catch our attention. The best part is that it’s a shared interest, so we genuinely enjoy sharing our findings with one another. I’m going to share this article with him as well in case there is anything here that he can also pick up on to help improve his research.
Currently looking for lesser-known historical spots around my home county of Essex that I can explore. I found out the other day a small manor house in Stamford used to belong to one of the murderers of Thomas Beckett. And while looking for the Mundon Dead forest I came across St Marys Church, Mundon which is really beautiful and has so much information available for people about its history which you do not come across nowadays in small buildings. It has made me want to find more about the Church and the area itself. I love heading down little rabbit warrens when researching
Research is my favorite part of the writing process. So thankful there are infinite resources easily available, thanks to technology.
Technology has made such a difference in the research world!
Your advice seems very reasonable. And, yes, I’ve been seeing tons of articles and blog posts about the 1918 flu pandemic as well.
It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, it just has to make sense for you!! And yes, the flu posts are everywhere. They are absolutely relevant but I would argue are a little over-saturated at this point